3 Times Maxxie Thought He Knew and 1 Time He Did
by caromac
Summary: Maxxie formed his suspicions back in Season 1, with the rest of us. Chris / Jal. One-shot. Spoilers for S2, "Chris."


**Title: **Three Times Maxxie Thought He Knew and One Time He Did.

**Author: **puccafan

**Characters / Pairing: **Chris / Jal, Maxxie. Angie and others also featured.

**Spoilers: **S2: "Chris. "

**Summary: **Maxxie formed his suspicions back in Season 1, with the rest of us.

**Disclaimer: **Not mine, never mine.

**A/N: **I wanted to write some happy Chris/Jal fic before the finale but all I could come up with is this. I'm not sure how I feel about it, but I'll leave it up to you guys to decide. I hope someone enjoys it anyway. Un-beta'd so all mistakes are mine.

* * *

" I can't believe her sometimes."

Maxxie glanced down the other end of the common room, following the direction of Jal's narrowed eyes.

"Angie?"

" Mm. I mean, how fucking unprofessional can you get?"

Carefully Maxxie watched the psychology teacher for any signs of untoward behaviour. She seemed to be doing nothing more inconspicuous than rubbing the soles of her feet as she talked to Doug, who, Maxxie noted with amusement, was rubbing the back of his head in an awkward attempt to keep eyes adrift of Angie's voluminous cleavage which was staring up at him.

Maxxie turned back to Jal and shrugged with a small smile.

" I dunno, I kinda like her."

Sighing Jal shifted around her in squishy, blue chair, tucking her legs beneath her in cross legged position.

" I'm not saying she's a horrible person - "

" But?"

Jal paused and the slightly hesitant look on her face piqued Maxxie's interest. Leaning down towards he added in a slightly more teasing tone.

" Does someone not like Chris's new girlfriend?"

Jal instantly shot Maxxie a reproving stare, and apologetically - thought still with a spark of amusement in his eye - he leaned back, hands up in the air.

" Sorry."

Jal shook her head and turned away from Maxxie, her eyes randomly fixing on a Quit-Smoking-And-Stop-Choking poster on the other side of the room.

" I just think Chris could do better that's all. "

Amending her tone, Jal added in a firmer voice.

"_Should _do better."

Maxxie glanced back at the subject of their conversation.

" Dunno Jal, she's got a pair of nice tits on her for a teacher. "

Jal scoffed and stared at Maxxie with a perfectly raised eyebrow.

" What? And you're an expert of authority on the matter?"

In return he pouted playfully and laid a hand on his chest.

" Hey, we gay men may not stare but we sure as hell see. "

Turning her head away Jal laughed in amusement.

" Jesus, Maxxie - you're really fighting the stereotypes aren't you?"

" If you can't beat 'em, join 'em." replied Maxxie brightly.

And then leaning down to whisper in her ear, he added sincerely.

" You've still got nice tits too Jal."

Her mouth dropped open slightly and looking in mild surprise at Maxxie, Jal was simply met with an innocent grin.

" And I know Chris thinks so."

Face immediately transforming into scowl, Jal whipped back round to face the opposite wall with a barely audible fuck-off.

Maxxie was far from offended though, and instead also turned to face the wall, smiling a small smile and forming a small suspicion.

" Ah! There you are, you sneaky fuckers. "

Considering his recent revelation Maxxie half expected Jal to blush and shoot up from her chair, the moment Chris plonked himself down next to her. If she were any other girl she might have.

But Jal being Jal she elbowed Chris in the stomach instead, telling him to fuck off as he cheekily slung an arm around her shoulders, before smoothly moving on to asking him how his weekend was.

* * *

It was a Thursday afternoon and Maxxie, Chris and Jal had all finished college at lunch that day. But, for reasons unspecified and unimportant, they found themselves still hanging round the Green come 2'o clock.

Well, Chris and Jal were hanging. Maxxie - as he found himself doing so in moments of boredom or speculation - was watching them.

Chris had never been one to simply sit and talk. Not unless he was extremely and wondrously pissed. Or on pills. He could be a like a little kid at times, itching to do something or liven up the situation, anything to avoid the ordinary talk about coursework, or what people had watched last night. Since he didn't do either.

And Jal, despite her stony exterior and unflattering reputation, was remarkably accommodating when it came to Chris's ideas.

All factors which had led to the outcome of the two them, lying on their front, enthusiastically playing "I Never".

With Skittles.

Unsurprisingly Jal had eaten more skittles than Chris.

" I never trampolined onto someone's shed roof. "

" I never passed my Grade 4 clarinet with top marks. "

" I never chased Bob Geldoff down Oxford Street. "

" I never went skinny dipping last summer. "

" Seriously?"

Jal smiled devilishly at Chris and popped a skittle in her mouth. Across the way - though invisible to them both - Maxxie laughed lightly.

Popping shut his open mouth, Chris stuck out his lip in resolve, and nodded confidently.

" Alright, I never slept with a surprisingly musical porn star. "

" Oh fuck off. "

Jal stared with open eyes as Chris waggled his eyebrows, and popped a skittle in his mouth.

Swallowing he blinked and sighed.

"Ah, the things she could do with that harpsichord. "

Rolling her eyes, Jal nudged Chris with her elbow.

" That's not fair - how am I supposed to have slept with a porn star?"

" Dress like a giant fish. "

" What?"

" I don't know, I don't make the rules Jal! " Grinning maliciously Chris gestured to the row of sweets lined up on the grass. " Eat up."

Jal looked downwards and pouted.

" There are only green skittles left. I don't like green skittles. "

" Tough nuts. 's'not my fault you're not as adventurous as moi."

" I think I'd like to hold onto my surviving brain cells thank you."

" Oh, she bites. "

" _You _can bite me. "

" Maybe later Frazer. "

It didn't escape Maxxie's notice, that when they split open a new packet of Skittles, Chris took all the green ones.

* * *

It had started of course, with Anwar being a drunk dick. Which admittedly, Anwar always tended to be at their little group get-togethers. And this night, they were propped up in deck chairs in Cassie's back garden, rolling joints.

"_Jesus, _this is good spliff man. " Exhaling slowly Anwar addressed Chris, leant back nonchalantly against the base of Sid's deckchair, legs stretching out into the middle of the circle. "Where the fuck did you get your hands on this Chris?"

Chris smirked and shrugged.

" What can I say? I have my means and ways. "

Anwar's drunken grin split into something a little more unpleasant.

" What? Like fucking your ex-psychology teacher? " Leaning forward Anwar went to slap Chris on the leg and missed woefully." Eh Chris, is Angie your sugar mama?! Does she -"

" Anwar shut the fuck up or I'll shove that spliff so far up your ass you'll be shitting hash for a week."

Maxxie let out one of many loud barks of laughter as Anwar's face slackened in surprise.

He swivelled round to face the girl sitting next to him.

" Jesus. What the fuck's your problem Jal?"

" You are."

As the group laughed loudly and raucously, Maxxie quietly watched Chris shoot Jal a grateful smile, which she returned, almost shyly. As she twisted back round to face Michelle, Maxxie also noted how Chris's eyes lingered on her a little bit longer, thinking, just for a moment.

Maxxie rolled his eyes later that evening when they went home their separate ways.

* * *

The music from the club blasted out mercilessly and behind them Maxxie could hear people retching in the bushes.

Lain on his back on the grass Maxxie stared up at the sky and smiled. He didn't care.

He watched lazily as a trail of smoke from Chris's cigarette unfurled in spirals in the cold, September air.

He listened as his friend lain next to him exhaled in satisfaction.

Resting his head on the grass Maxxie turned and observed the expression on Chris's face. Eyes shut and mouth turned up slightly at the corners.

Peaceful.

It seemed a shame to speak for such a trivial purpose.

" Chris?"

The boy in question didn't open his eyes.

" Mm?"

" What's the time?"

" Why?"

" 'm expecting a call from one of me conquests and I left my phone inside. " Apologetically Maxxie smiled, although Chris still wasn't looking. " Sorry."

Smiling Chris didn't seem to care, and absentmindedly he dug a hand inside the pocket of his shorts and chucked his phone onto Maxxie's stomach.

Murmuring thanks Maxxie leant his head back down and flipped Chris's phone open, the small screen illuminated in harsh contrast again the black, night's sky.

He was a little less surprised than he would have expected to be, when Maxxie blinked and a wallpaper of Jal poking her tongue out at the camera came into view.

Maxxie noted the time and flipped the phone shut, resting it under his hand on his stomach.

" Chris?"

" Yeah mate?"

" Jal's your girlfriend now isn't she?"

" Course she is."

Maxxie laughed and chucked back the phone.

" Well thank fuck for that."

Chris's perpetual smile broadened as he took a deep drag and opened his eyes.

" I do every day mate, I do."

* * *


End file.
